#(shuffled queue.)

[venomousjorogumo]

Harumi's face fell whenever she jumped from a ledge, barely able to make it to safety. "They're still here! Run!" She warned her ally, scrambling to get away from the Hunters who had torched her previous residence, and the village. Their pursuit was relentless, and more of them shouted obscenities at her and her friend as they tried to capture them. She was nearly exhausted from running, and thus unable to scurry away while in Spider form. "I cannot keep this up, and neither can you. We're majorly outnumbered." Without another word, she took cover under the thick brush in the forest, dragging them down with her. "Don't make a sound." As the cruel Hunters ran into the forest clearing, they began to search the area-- never suspecting that their targets had hidden in the bushes. "They got away? Those fucking Yōkai. We'll find them, and take them to the lab... where they belong. They must be monitored closely..."

[resilientangel]

"I've got something to show you. Here, hold out your hands..." Elliott gave the other a wilted flower crown, a smile forming on his lips. "Just wait a few moments." His powers gathered on his hands, emitting warmth before the flowers came back to life and bloomed once more. "These powers are my gift; I'm not human, after all." He pulled back to slip out of his oversize green jacket, untucking and revealing his tawny wings to them. "I've wanted to tell you who I really am for ages, but I could never get the timing right."

[resilientangel]

"I shouldn't have taken it out on you when I lost my powers again. It wasn't your fault, and I was just looking for someone else to blame." Jerome admitted softly, feeling a pang of guilt. "I'm sorry for pushing you away, too. I just needed time to sort everything out." Now that there wasn't a chance he'd lose his Grace, he could aid the wounded Humans at the hospital again. "Can we start over, or is it too late now?"

[resilientangel]

Jerome awoke from his restless sleep with sweat dripping down his face. Ever since Maddie had decided to visit every few days, his resolve weakened. Of course, Owen and Wesley decided to take his children away from prying eyes-- and that was painful enough. He didn't want to be absent from their lives, but they'd be in danger if they continued living with him. He rose from his bed and crossed the room in time to see Elliott and Iseul in the hallway. "Jerome." Elliott uttered his older sibling's name, the grin on his face fading instantly. "We just got back. Are you okay?" Iseul awkwardly pulled back, giving the Donahue brother's some space. The older Angel wiped away the sweat from his face with his hands before he huffed in annoyance. "No. I'm not okay. While you were off doing God-knows-what, I've suffered. Heaven's Council hasn't found my children or your lover yet, but they will. I'm being punished for getting caught once. Do you understand? You've no choice but to take Iseul off the grid, with the others. Contact Owen and Wesley for the coordinates." The blonde haired female frowned, but didn't say anything. "No. I won't take Iseul there! She'd be cut off from her family and friends. And me... I'm comfortable living here!" Elliott protested. "Would you choose comfort over safety? It's unwise, given the circumstances." Jerome's voice grew dangerously cold. "I have to repent for what I did; I'm lucky Maddie hasn't thrown me in a jail cell." He repressed the urge to curse with difficulty. "They enjoy torturing me. I wouldn't wish this fate on you, our brothers, Iseul, or the kids. Take your lover and hide until everything's calmed down." He took hold of his favorite rose quartz stone, and handed it to his sibling. "Have Iseul channel her powers into this. It renders one invisible for a short time..." Jer coughed, and pulled back. "Wesley or Owen will come back to take care of me. I have faith in them." More faith in them than you. He thought bitterly. "Wait. You should come with us!" The Half Angel finally spoke, breaking the uncomfortable silence. Jerome shook his head, and winced. "I cannot. They're tracking me with an ancient magic that was so powerful, only our Father knew it. Wes managed to remove his tracker, as did Owen, b-but I...." "I don't see how that's a problem. I can just remove the tracking enchantment and--" "--This type of magic can only be removed by the caster, or the afflicted." Elliott stated in a soft tone. "Jer, why didn't you tell me?" "You never asked. Besides, I wanted you to have some form of normalcy; no matter how short it was." Jerome's brows furrowed before he coughed up blood. The floor and his lips were stained with his crimson essence. "Please go." He choked out. Elliott reached out to heal his brother, and Iseul followed suit. Their combined Grace dulled the ache just long enough for Jer to feel sleepy again. "Thank you. I must rest now. Please, take care of yourselves." Jerome slowly went to his bed, before laying down. He fell asleep instantly, but his brother and Iseul watched over him as he slept.

[resilientangel]

"I never had a choice in the matter! Are you insinuating I'm a coward?" Wesley's voice cracked with emotion whilst he stared at his friend in disbelief. "I can't protect you from the other Judges forever. You need to keep your head down for a while." He set his jaw and shook his head as if to shake away the negative thoughts. "If you're asking me to choose between you and my job, you know I'd rather work." The lie easily fell past his lips, but it didn't sound convincing. Perhaps his friendship with them was ephemeral, after all.

[parchedvampire]

Ernesto threw the dart with such precision, hitting the bullseye again. "Beat that." He murmured cockily, turning to his good friend. "I'll wager a hundred dollars that you can't win." He waited for them to try and beat his score with a broad grin gracing his lips. "If that's too steep for you, we can bet fifty dollars instead."

[venomousjorogumo]

"This hospital is full of patients-- but I promise none of them are infected! Please, they're only children!" The nurse shouted, following the armed stranger as they strode past the waiting room. "Stop!" Before they had a chance to do anything, Reiko kicked their pistol out of their hand. Her brows furrowed as she hurriedly retrieved the firearm, and turned on the safety. "You won't be using this. I've worked too damn hard to let anyone die!" Maybe she wasn't entirely honest about there being no infected children, but she knew a medication combination that could delay the virus. She'd just need to do more research and find an actual cure. "If you seek to harm anyone, we're going to have a problem."

[venomousjorogumo]

"What is it? Can't you see I'm trying to sulk?" Harumi exhaled heavily, and decided to turn away to ignore her comrade. She stood up, shaking her head. A blunt object flew by and grazed her cheek before it left behind a streak of green ichor. "Ouch!" Another kunai knife flew past her head, getting caught in her hair. She barely managed to dodge the oncoming attacks and face her enemy. "You've picked the wrong time to mess with me!" Her stance changed, and she ran toward her assailant, recklessly tackling them with her body. "Ow! What the...?" She tumbled down the hill with them, getting the wind knocked out of her.